ATTENTION: I am quitting fanfic - well maybe when Degrassi passes Gilmore Girls, I wiil...this could take a while. JK. No actually, I think I'll stop writing when I get a life, or when I go to college (4 years) :/
A/N: This is a combination of 2 chapters. I decided to put them together for two reasons.
1) one of the chapters would've been too short, while the other was extremely long.
& 2) I'll be out of town for a week without a 24 hr computer near me, so I wont be updating...I'll still write in my notepad and when I go back home, I'll type the crap out of this keyboard :) I promise.
So... Chapter Nine...MMM, I didn't go over-over this.
Enjoy
CHAPTER NINE - YOU KILL ME (IN A GOOD WAY)
(Clare's POV)
We arrive back at the cars after out long hike. The hike was nice and refreshing, but pretty much uneventful. Approaching the cars, we all disperse ourselves out to go back into our original cars, but suddenly Glen stops us.
"Wait, all of you!" He shouts, causing us all to halt in our tracks. "Boys in this car," he states, gesturing the Subaru.
"And Girls, the other car," Mother says, gesturing the other rental car, the red Malibu Chevrolet. "We're separating. The guys are going somewhere withe Glen and you girls are going somewhere with me."
"Um, oh-okay," Darcy stutters sounding seemingly caught off guard and biting her lip slightly. She turns and gives her husband a light peck on the lips before heading to the Chevrolet. "Bye Babe."
"Bye Darc," Peter waves, going the opposite way as her and into the passenger's seat of the Subaru.
I look around to see, my mother and Glen doing the same, and Vivian and Jake are sharing a long and quite fierce "goodbye" kiss. Which, by the way, is making me very uncomfortable. They finally release each other and go their separate ways. I glance over to Eli who is at my side and my eyes eye his lips. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to say "goodbye" to him right now.
"Okay, well -" I start to speak, but before being cut off hands pulling me into a set of lips, pressing them against mine for a brief moment.
Eli let's go of me. "Bye," he dismisses cooly with a small smirk. He then jogs over to the Boy's car and hops in the backseat. Stunned, I stand there for a few seconds till I learn how to work my body's movement functions again properly. I slowly rotate my body around, saunter over to our car, and get in.
...
My mother and Darcy both sit in the front of the car while I am forced to sit in the back with the Tramp. If you havent caught on, the Tramp I am referring to is Vivian. She doesn't think I can see through her sweet voice and façade of genuine innocence. She clearly wants Eli. And I promise, I wont let that happen.
If she and Eli hooked up, a lot of people would be hurt. Jake. Julia. Me... I mean, I'm his friend; I wouldn't want him to jeopardize his relationship with Julia all because of some bimbo; Julia's a nice girl - as far as I know... She and I aren't necessarily friends though.
See, Julia doesn't go to NYU with all of us, she lives in Manhattan which is about a 20 minute drive for him and her to see each other. So when she visits every weekend - with the exception of this week because she's in Italy -, she's only on a mission to be with Eli.
When we'd answer the door she'd say "hi" then immediately ask for Eli. That girl had no interest in getting to know Me or Adam; she had only interest in Eli. When Eli would finally appear, she'd grab him, and go, saying "bye" to us on her way out.
So yeah, nice girl...
But once, Adam called her a "bitch", because I guess Eli had ranted to him about how he was sick of Julia, how he and Julia had been fighting a lot lately, and how on their last dinner date (the night before Adam had retained this information), Julia had had a fit at the waiter for getting her order slightly wrong. And when Eli tried to calm her down and tell her that they could bring out the dish prepared correctly, she snapped at him for "defending the waiter and not his girlfriend".
Adam said Eli had been so embarrassed by Julia's attitude that night that he was thinking about breaking up with her. He was also sick of the various, unnecessary tantrums being thrown at him too; he didn't like women who just bickered and complained all the time. Apparently they made up the next day and were still together. Adam had asked why didn't Eli break up with Julia and Eli responded that Julia was really great in bed.
When Adam had told me of Eli's answer, I had scoffed in disgust.
"So Mom, where are we going exactly?" I ask, rolling down the window a little so I can get a breeze circulating throughout this immensely humid car.
"Shopping center," my mother replies. "You girls can buy what you please, but I am mainly set on buying us all Hawaiiany dresses for the luau at the hotel."
"They're having one tonight?" Darcy questions.
"No, Monday night."
"Oh." Darcy says, dragging the word. Our conversation continues from the topic of the Monday night luau and ends up at a topic I'd rather not discuss, and one that Vivian - obviously - brought up.
Sex.
"Jake is absolutely wild in bed, and it's fantastic." Vivian squeals, smiling brightly, making the rest of us purse out lips. It's extremely awkward for me to hear praise from his girlfriend about him being an amazing lover, and it embeds an even more awkward and blinding image in my mind.
I don't want to visualize Jake and Vivian on top of each other, all hot and sweaty - I'm not trying to have nightmares tonight.
"Peter's passionate," Darcy blurts, changing the mood of the car slightly and snapping the horrifying images of Jake and Vivian out of my head. "He's like...really sweet, and its amazing." I emit a loving sigh after Darcy's words and do not cringe like I did when the Tramp was bragging about my step-brother abilities.
For some reason, I can imagine Peter naked and still manage to keep my potential vomit down.
My mother giggles, "I'm not even going to get started on discussing what happens in the bedroom with Glen and I." We all begin to laugh and sputter out words like "gross" and "that's disgusting."
"Ha ha," my mother fake laughs, "you all wont be laughing when you get my age." We still continue to laugh.
Laughs die down and Vivian turns to me. "What about you?"
"Huh?" I say nervously.
She smirks, "I meant, how is Eli in bed?"
As she asks me this question I can't help but notice all six eyes in the car flicker at me. Darcy glances of should and stares at me the same time as I see my mother also staring at me in her rear view mirror. They all seem to be interested in hearing my response. I'm not sure what to say at this moment. Should I lie and say we have? Should I tell the truth and say we havent?
I have been lying for the past couple of days, I should at least tell an ounce of truth.
"We...we havent," I finally get out, "we havent had sex."
In reply I receive a gasp from Vivian, "You havent!" When I silently shake my head no, Vivian's surprise shows even more as her eyes widen. "Well, you've at least seen it, right? His..." Vivian wags her index finger. I shake my head no again and she sighs, "Oh God!"
"See Clare ," my mother starts, "that is your problem, right there?"
"What?" I say confusedly.
My mother sighs and states, "Eli is a good catch, Clare." I nod. "I'd hate for you to lose him due to your lack of passion towards him."
"What are you trying to say?" I question sternly, glaring at my mother through her reflection in the rear view mirror.
Calmly, my mother says, "You guys - you and Eli - have been dating for a while now, I mean, would it kill you to be more open to the idea of being with him..."
I roll my eyes. "Eventually, Mom, it-t'll happen."
"Will it?" she challenges, "Clare, if you haven't noticed, many girls find Eli very attractive." I've noticed. "One day h-he wont be able to abstain himself from his sexual needs any longer," I begin to grimace as she speaks. "And if you aren't going to be his supplier, someone else will gladly fill the position that you are clearly not doing-"
"Mom!" Darcy shrieks harshly, causing my mother to jump. "Why are you acting like this. Can't you see that Clare is obviously not ready to take this step with Eli yet. They only been dating a couple of months. If she wants to wait, let her wait, and stop trying to make her be...be some kind of whore?... And stop trying intrude in her relationships all the time! It's really none of your business."
"God. I am so loving Darcy in her big-sister mode right now," I smile internally and proudly.
"Well maybe if I-I would have intruded in the past, she would've broken up with that vile Mark Fitzgerald sooner and dated quality boys. She maybe would have been able to keep one of her boyfriends, like Jason o-or Jackson. If she would have j-just called me and told me the troubles that they were facing, I could have been of assistance and gave her some of advice..." My mother glances over her shoulder and looks at me. "See, I'm only trying to help you keep a guy, Clare..."
"What do you know about keeping guys?" I hiss, "You couldn't even keep Dad."
My words were meant to wound, and I'm pretty sure by the look on my mother's face that they did. My mother turns back around in her seat and the car goes silent.
After a while, out of no where, my mother speaks. "Your father is an asshole. He made the mistake, not me. I kept up my end of the marriage and tried to forget it and repair our relationship, he was the one who was effortless. So as for keeping a man, I tried. Theres a difference between you and me, Clare. I try, you don't. And know it or not, my advice is good - Eli is good. Just... you just gotta -"
Darcy cuts my mother off. " Stop talking, Mom, It really is none of your business. If Eli cares for her, he will patiently wait until she's ready. So leave her be, and that's the end of this discussion. My mother opens her mouth to speak but Darcy shoots, "No. No more talking. Silent ride the rest of the drive."
I grin, I've never been so proud to call Darcy my sister - my defender.
...
We stand in this little store at the shopping centre, its full of clothes - obviously - , Hawaiiany clothing. I am examining a rack of possible attire for the luau. Darcy and Vivian are purchasing the dresses they had found at the shop, and I don't know where my mother is, and frankly, I don't really give a rat's ass.
The rest of the car ride had been painfully silent, just like Darcy had demanded. I couldn't help but notice an expression of anger and sorrow glued on to my mother's face the rest of the drive. She was hurt, but I don't care, she hurt me first.
So as I go through the section hideous, frilly and colorful skirts, Mom suddenly comes up to me. She holds a yellow v-necked dress which straps are tied around the hanger. It's actually a pretty dress... "What do you think?" she grins, holding the dress up in front of her figure.
"Ehh, it's a bit too small for you, you think?" I shoot wickedly, causing her to purse her lips.
"It's not for me," Mom replies, "I was thinking you could wear it for the luau. Cute, isn't it?"
"No," I state flatly, stomping away from her and the ugly skirts and over to the next rack which were strictly dresses. I aggressively sift through my choices before my mother comes over. I groan when I spot her coming up next to me. I get ready to storm away from her yet again.
"Clare," she sighs sadly, grabbing my arm.
I yank out of her grasp and shout, "What makes you think you have the right to talk to me now after what you had said to me in the car?!"
"I-I know, Clare. I've cooled down enough to realize what I had said to you in the car was wrong of me - no, everything I've been saying to you has been wrong. All of your life, I have compared you to Darcy or other teenage girls I'd seen. I don't know, I guess... I don't know. I'm so sorry Sweetie for Everything. The way I have been acting towards you the past couple of years. And I now know that it has been upsetting you, and I'm again really sorry, but all I want is for you to be happy...with someone."
"Mom, I'll be fine, with or without Eli."
"Y-yeah. I know. But I just want you to be with a great guy - which is El. And I-I really don't want you to let him get away. He's nice, funny, smart, has a plan for his life, an - by God - Clare, he is absolutely gorgeous."
I don't correct her on that, Eli was all those things and more. He was perfect, just not for me.
My mother continues, "I just don't want you to go through what I went through. I want you to be in love. I want you to love Eli as much as he loves you."
"Yeah Mom," I exhale, then suddenly catch on to her words, "Wait what?"
"I'm saying that I don't think that you are as interested into him as he is to you."
"What make you think that - th-that Eli interested in me...more?"
My mom grins and begins to tell me her perspective. "I've noticed that he's always smiling or doing that adorable little smirk whenever he has his arm around you or is just around you, smiling as if you are some prize that he wants to keep a safe lock on and never lose. And any time when I'd say something sort of rude about your relationships - sorry about that by the way - , he'd be quick to defend you. And also as Darcy as Darcy said, at the club, he was breaking you out of your shell, making you happy, and adventurous - making you dance." My mother pauses and brushes my hair behind my ear and a smile crosses her closed lips. "He wants to be with you; I know it. And if he hasn't said it already, he loves you."
That cannot be true. Eli is my friend, there's no way he feels that way.
My mother starts tearing a little. "I am truly sorry Clare for the way I have been treating and nagging you the past couple of years. It's just that when your father and I had split, I didn't know what to do. I wanted you and Darcy to be as happy as I once was and I wanted you two to stay that way. I now know that I wasnt doing it in the proper way, thinking that if you slept with a guy, he'd magically and instantly fall in love with you and want to be with you for ever - definitely the wrong way...I wanted you to find real love, like I have found with Glen."
I unknowingly roll my eyes and my mother snaps, "I know you still don't like him, but it's true, I do love him. And I still want you to find that same love like Darcy and I have - the true kind. And I believe Eli is the right guy to discover that with... But if you still don't feel the same about Eli, I wont push you to love him, you can do what you want; you are an adult. A beautiful one you have grown to be."
We stare at each other. She already has a couple of tears flowing down her cheek, while I am on the verge of leaking out of my eyes. She opens her arms and walks into me. I embrace her in mine and let a few tears fall. Over my shoulder I hear her whisper another "I'm sorry".
This is what I have been waiting for for almost 6 years; her to realize her errors and apologize sincerely. Now that it had finally come, I had never been so grateful.
...
We walk around the plaza in search of a food court or something . At the clothing store, after my mother and I made up, I admitted to my mom that I had really liked the yellow dress and she had found it off the rack again and bought it for me.
So walking around, searching, Vivian grips my forearm, stopping me. "Oh my God," she gasps, staring at the store we were currently passing. My mother and Darcy stop and glance back. "Let's go in." Vivian suggests. I eye the window of the store and immediately am repulsed. It's a lingerie store - or maybe one of those naughty barns, or something. The two mannequins in the display window are all dolled up in colored wigs and dressed up from head to toe in hooker-ish clothing.
My mother shakes her head softly, "Um. I don't know, Vivian, I'm not really up for it - I'm hungry. Plus, I have no business being in there. That stuffs a little too erotic for my taste."
"Me too," Darcy agrees, locking elbows with my mother (I guess they made up too). "I'm really hungry."
Vivian dismisses the thought of either two being her shopping buddy and she turns to me.
"Dont even," I thought. Then her eyes plead to me, begging me to come in the store with her. "There is no way in hell I'm going in that sex shop with her!"
...
Techno pop music plays in the background as I sit on a white leather sofa in the store, waiting for Vivian to change into another one of her many selections of outfits. I'm really not in the mood to see Vivian half-naked in fish net stockings again.
"God, this is so boring..." I mutter under my breath, and as I finish my sentence, I feel a vibe in my back pocket. I pull my ringing phone out to reveal Eli's number calling me. "Hello?" I answer slowly.
"Hey Clare," Eli greets me brightly, followed by Jake who I hear say, "hey Clare" as well in the background. Eli laughs, "Jake says 'hi'."
"I hear... So where did you guys go?"
"Um. We're at a free range golf course," Eli rejoins, "Glen said we're not supposed to be on our phones calling you guys, but I got bored and Glen is oblivious that I have my phone out - he's in somewhat of a golfing zone." Eli releases a soft chuckle. "What you girls doing?"
"Um, we all had bought dresses for that luau on Monday, and Darcy and Mom went to go get something to eat while Vivian dragged me into this... store." I didn't know what to really call this, after looking around, I realize that it is sort of a sex store. Theres little sexy and seductive costumes, toys, movies, and other erotic things. It makes me oddly uncomfortable. "I'm being forced to give her opinions on the outfits she tries on."
"Oh, so you two are friends now?"
"Not even."
"Oh-okay, what store?"
I bite my lip. "I didn't catch a look at its name before we came in, but I know that I'm most likely never coming back here again. It's gross."
Eli laughs, "Clare, you're making it sound like you're at some sort of sex shop."
I stay silent for a second.
"Oh my," Eli squeaks, "you are." I can just picture him grinning now. "So, you're going to buy something to wear for me, or you gonna buy us some toys?" Eli jokes.
"You wish."
The curtains sweep open and out comes a skankily dressed-in-lingerie Vivian. She wore the outfit that had a black and red stripes on its corset, black underwear, and long, thigh-high stockings.
Doing a 360 spin, she giggles, "What do you think, Clare?"
Does she want my real opinion?
I shake my head. "Vivian, I am not a guy, so I cannot judge your ... um outfit with a perverted perspective "
Vivian exhales, then eyes my phone. "Who are you on the phone with; the guys?"
"Yeah, but only E -"
Before I can get my words fully out, Vivian snatches the phone from my hand and takes it into the dressing room with her.
"What are you doing?" I screech, walking toward her cubby of a dressing area.
"'I'm going to send a pic. For Jake." She responds, silencing me. I can't just snatch my phone away now, who am I to stop her from showing her boyfriend how slutty she is? I guess its okay for her to use my phone, just s long as I get it back.
...
(Eli's POV)
I was still on the phone when apparently Vivian came out of the dressing room. I heard their brief conversation about Vivian's attire. I knew enough to know that Vivian was now in possession of Clare's phone. The call ends and seconds later, I receive a new picture message from Clare (Clare's number, Vivian's message). I reluctantly open the message to find a seductive picture of Vivian posing in front of a mirror in a costume of lingerie. I gulp nervously as I read the caption that went along with the image.
What do YOU think?
This message was clearly directed at me, and not Jake. Clare was right, I think Vivian is trying to seduce me. Not looking at the alluring picture a second longer, I do the responsible thing, I hand the phone over to Jake.
"Why are you giving me the -" Jake glances at picture. "Woah, hot."
Jake runs off with the phone and begins to call Clare's cell. I don't really mind, I just pick up my golf club, set a spare golf ball down on the tee, and swing.
...
I've been golfing for a few minutes and enjoying it when suddenly I hear my ringtone playing and I see Jake sprinting over towards me. He holds my phone out. "Hey, you got an incoming call from some hot chick," he informs me. I see Julia's face flashing on my screen. "Who is that?" Jake questions.
"M-my sister." I lie and not very goodly, but Jake nods, seeming to believe me. He walks away.
I answer my phone, "Hey Julia, I know you want to talk, but I really can't talk now. I'm sort of busy."
"Four!" Glen shouts, whacking a golf ball out into the air at a long distance.
"What was that?" Julia questions.
"Oh, someone just ordered 4 cups of coffee, I'm at work, I'll talk to you later, gotta go, bye." I hang up.
I'm a bad boyfriend.
...
Clare and I enter our room after a long day of hiking, shopping (girls), golfing (guys), and having just had been out to dinner in the dinning area again. It's cleaned - thank you maids. I fall onto the bed and Clare announces that she is going to take a shower.
She walks into the bathroom, and I sleepily slip out, "Don't forget your clothes again." She quickly darts out of the bathroom and over to her suitcase. "Dammit," I curse myself internally. I secretly wanted Clare to walk out of the bathroom naked, covered by a teeny towel again. Hmmm, maybe another day.
Clare takes her shower and comes out of the bathroom dressed in a plain black tank top and pink colored shorts withe the word "PINK" written on them; she must have gotten them from her job. She looks...cute. She goes onto the bed, the same time I get up to go to take a shower myself.
...
When I finish, I come out of the bathroom in a pair of green boxers and a black&white Dead Hand t-shirt. I walk over to the bed, getting ready to dismember the maids excellent bed making skills to remove the thin white cover below the plush orange one. Clare puts my doings to a halt.
"Wait Eli," Clare shoots, stopping me from lifting up the orange cover. "You don't have to sleep on the floor anymore, you can just sleep up here."
"Why the sudden change in attitude?" I don't know why I am questioning this girl. I'd fucking love to sleep in the same bed with her!
"I just didn't think the floor looked comfortable this morning... Oh, but if you want to, you can gladly stay on the floor...I was just offering -"
"I'm sleeping up here." I state, cutting her off and jumping onto the bed.
Clare giggles, just don't be too close to me while you're sleeping."
"I make no promises."
"I'm serious!"
"Okay."
...
(Clare's POV)
"Call the tax relief help line..." I hear the tv chant, it wakes me up.
I hear a sweet groan in my ear and feel breat of heat purring on the back of my neck. My shirt is up a little and Eli's hand rests on the bare skin of my waist.
He and I are close. We fitted in a slightly detached puzzle like fit. My back facing his front.
"Oh Lord," I whine internally, peeling Eli's arm off of me.
As I push Eli's arm off, my body moves back a bit. I feel something hard poke at my back. I immediately expect it to be the remote. "Good," I thought, I could use it to turn off the tv, then try and go back to sleep. I blindly reach down the covers for the remote. When I grasp something covered by a fabric of cotton, my eyes widen.
It's not a remote.
Repulsed, I push the covers off of me and I spring out of the bed. "Holy Hell!" I screech.
The movement of me jumping out of the bed and my loud shriek, wakes and startles Eli. His eyes slowly open and dart over to me. He rubs his eyes and leans his body up on his elbows. "What's going on, Clare?" he asks, sleepily.
I panick at how I should answer his question, so I point to the tent in his boxers.
"Oh shit," Eli panicks, wrenching the nearest pillow to his body to cover himself. "Not again..."
I raise my eyebrows at him and mentally ask, "Again? What does he mean...'again'?"
A/N: Mmm, what do you guys think?
It wasn't all that good. I have no idea what I want to do for tomorrow (Sunday in the story). I have my plot laid out...
But if you guys want to throw out some suggestions for the next day on the vaca, like little things that happen...IDK.
Review!(long reviews and some suggestions would be greatly appreciated :) )
-MFFITS
P.S. I love you if you know the song in which the title originated.
